1.5 crore people need free rice, says Akbar Ali

Dhaka, Jan 4 (bdprem.com) – Chairman of the Regulatory Reform Commission Akbar Ali Khan has said rice should be provided free of cost to around 1.5 crore people to face the crisis alongside the sale of the staple under the OMS programme. In an exclusive interview with bdprem.com Friday, he spoke on several issues including the escalating price of rice and other essentials. "Many may be surprised at my proposal. But this is not a new proposal at all," said Akbar Ali, who served as an adviser to president Iajuddin Ahmed-led caretaker government in 2006. Your Ad Here "The budget for current fiscal also mentions supplying free rice to 25 lakh poor people. I have only increased the figure to 1.5 crore considering the magnitude of the crisis." "Poor people cannot survive buying rice at Tk 35 per kg. The government should immediately deliver rice to the hardcore poor free of cost, on an urgent basis, considering the human angle." Akbar Ali said distribution of free rice to poor people is nothing new. During the Awami League and BNP governments free rice was delivered to the poor through Vulnerable Group Development and Vulnerable Group Feeding programmes. The current budget also provides for assisting the poor in other ways through social safety net programmes, said the former top bureaucrat. "The present food stock in the government silos is not adequate compared with the need. Food stock needs to be increased through import on an emergency basis." "Food should be imported in any way, from any country to increase the government stock of food," the RRC chairman stressed. "If there is any negligence we will have to pay a bigger price." The government must make decisions quickly, Akbar Ali added. He said the government had been asked over the past one year to take effective steps to increase agricultural production. "But no such steps were taken." "It is a long-term process. But some short-term measures can also be taken to increase agricultural production. Unfortunately, such measures are not visible." He blamed the food crisis on the severe floods and cyclone Sidr. "But the government did not import necessary food in time to meet the need," the former adviser added. "On the other hand, the businessmen have used the government's weakness to their advantage," he observed. Using the excuse of current high rice prices in India traders have increased the price of the staple that was imported earlier, he alleged. "And the people are paying the price." Asked what measures he would suggest, he said: "It will be very difficult to face current problems without food imports and increase in local production." "Multi-pronged steps have to be taken from now to increase agricultural production." Akbar Ali stressed the importance of rice imports and added that increasing local production is most crucial "so that we can become self reliant".